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Scientists reveal Jesus' real name wasn't actually 'Jesus'

Scientists reveal Jesus' real name wasn't actually 'Jesus'

He would've gone by a name in His native language of Aramai

For centuries, Jesus Christ has been at the centre of Christianity.

His name has become tied with faith and salvation - becoming one of the most influential figures in human history.

However, experts are now saying that 'Jesus Christ' might not be the correct name after all.

Scholars believe that the man known as Jesus would have gone by a name in His native language of Aramaic - which sounds nothing like the modern version.

The name 'Jesus' didn’t exist in its current form during His lifetime. In fact, it contains letters that didn’t even appear in written language until 1,500 years after His death.

Hulton Archive / Stringer / Getty
Hulton Archive / Stringer / Getty

Over the years, Jesus’ name went through a process of translation and transliteration, moving from Aramaic to Hebrew, then Greek, Latin, and finally English in the 16th century.

According to Professor Dineke Houtman of the Protestant Theological University in the Netherlands, Jesus' name would most likely have been Yeshua - or its shorter form, Yeshu.

Jesus, as we would pronounce it with a hard 'J', wasn't a name that existed at the time of Jesus' life.

Not to mention, Jesus wouldn't have spoken English so the English-sounding version of His name doesn't make sense either.

The most obvious reason that Jesus' name wouldn't have sounded like the English version of 'Jesus' is that He wouldn't have spoken English.

Professor Houtman said: "His name would probably have been in Aramaic: Yeshua.

GraphicaArtis / Contributor / Getty
GraphicaArtis / Contributor / Getty

"It is likely that this is also how He introduced himself. Another possibility is the shorter form Yeshu which is the form used in later rabbinic literature."

Additionally, experts claim Jesus' last name was not 'Christ' - it’s actually a title derived from the Greek word Christos, meaning 'anointed one.'

Instead, Jesus’ surname would have been more connected to His hometown.

Therefore, Jesus' likely name would have been Yeshu Nazareen.

The Prince of Peace and His disciples lived in a region of the Roman empire called Judea, which is now modern-day Palestine and Israel. But many scholars believe that Jesus was born and raised in Nazareth, a small town in Galilee.

Prof Houtman, an expert on the relationship between Judaism and Christianity from the Protestant Theological University in the Netherlands, explained: "We cannot know for sure which languages Jesus spoke. However, given His family background in Nazareth, we can assume His day-to-day language was Aramaic."

Aramaic was the region’s primary language, and evidence from ancient texts shows it was widely spoken among the Jewish population. The language spread over much of the Middle East during the time of Jesus' life.

Even the early Greek versions of the Gospels preserve certain sayings of Jesus in their original Aramaic.

Featured Image Credit: GraphicaArtis / Contributor / Getty